Former Nebraska football star and NFL player Lawrence Phillips could now face the death penalty in the alleged killing of his cellmate.
The Kern County (Calif.) District Attorney was granted a motion by the judge to reconsider the option of executing Phillips if he’s found guilty of murder, according to USA Today. The prosecution originally was only seeking life in prison for Phillips — who is already serving a 31-year sentence for beating his girlfriend and driving his car into three people — but prosecuting attorney Andi Bridges claimed he discovered new evidence during the investigation.
Bridges told USA Today Sports, “We felt that the evidence supported a filing of a ‘lying in wait’ special circumstance.’’
The DA also believes that Phillips may have waited until his cellmate Damion Soward fell asleep before murdering him.
Phillips’ attorney Jesse Whitten isn’t buying the prosecutions argument saying, “There’s not really any evidence to support that theory. But if that’s what they want to allege, they can do that.’’
Phillips was a star football player during his time at Nebraska, but his success did not translate well to the NFL. (RELATED: Former Football Star Lawrence Phillips Charged With Murder)